Time to Say Goodbye
by BabyBeaver
Summary: Carrie Underwood's Starts With Goodbye. Counterpart to Tears Can't Bring Her Back, kinda. Malika's POV on leaving the Safety Patrol.


**Started on December 6****th****, 2007, after listening to Carrie Underwood songs on the way to school. Was thinking about Fillmore, heard the song, and went, "OMW, MALIKA!" So, yeah. This is Malika's POV about leaving the Safety Patrol.**

* * *

I liked the Safety Patrol, I really did. I was just…more attached to the Red Robins. It's hard to explain, but they were like family. My best friends. They understood me, and they needed me. 

_I was sitting on my doorstep,  
I hung up the phone and it fell out of my hand,  
But I knew I had to do it,  
And he wouldn't understand,_

They'd called me sounding almost frantic, informing me that their former leader had just moved and that they wanted me to be the new leader. What was I supposed to do, tell them that I was an undercover Belt? They would've hated me, and I didn't want that. And besides, I liked them. They were my friends. And I did want to join them…

_So hard to see myself without him,  
I felt a piece of my heart break,  
But when you're standing at a crossroad,  
There's a choice you gotta make.  
_  
I knew it would be hard to tell Vallejo, which was why I left my belt and badge in the taffy box. Even that was hard, and had Vallejo looked hard enough, he would have noticed that the belt was a little wet, and the badge slightly shinier than usual.

_I guess it's gonna have to hurt,  
I guess I'm gonna have to cry,  
And let go of some things I've loved,  
To get to the other side,  
I guess it's gonna break me down,  
Like falling when you try to fly,  
It's sad, but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life,  
Starts with goodbye._

Leaving the Patrol for the Robins did hurt, and I did cry a little, but if you tell anybody that I said that I swear I'll make you regret it.

Sure I was sad, but I had to do it. I couldn't bear the thought of telling the Robins I was a Belt. That could have been more painful than leaving Vallejo and the Safety Patrol. So I chose saying goodbye to Vallejo rather than the Robins.

_I know there's a blue horizon,  
Somewhere up ahead, just waiting for me,  
Getting there means leaving things behind,  
Sometimes life's so bitter sweet.  
_

Something good's going to come of this, I know it will. There will be something great in my future, something the Robins can give me that the Safety Patrol couldn't have. To reach that goal, to receive my prize, I have to leave behind the group that helped to make me who I am today. Oh, the irony.

_I guess it's gonna have to hurt,  
I guess I'm gonna have to cry,  
And let go of some things I've loved,  
To get to the other side,_

You know the old saying, "The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up"? Well, I woke up when I got that phone call. I realized that I wanted to join the Robins more than anything, and that they could help me go places. Vallejo didn't understand.

_I guess it's gonna break me down,  
Like falling when you try to fly,  
It's sad, but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life,  
Starts with goodbye._

His anger worried me. It made me cry, to be honest. But again, you tell anybody, I'll wrap you up and stick a bow on your head. But to get to the good stuff, sometimes you have to make sacrifices. Sometimes you have to choose the road less-traveled.

Time, time heals,  
The wounds that you feel,  
Somehow, right now. 

My parents didn't know entirely what was going on, but they knew something was bothering me. They kept telling me that in time, I'd feel better. And they were right. After a few months, I wasn't as sad. I was immersed in the Robins, and I forgot about Vallejo and the Safety Patrol.

Well, mostly.

I guess it's gonna have to hurt,  
I guess I'm gonna have to cry,  
And let go of some things I've loved,  
To get to the other side,  
I guess it's gonna break me down,  
Like falling when you try to fly,  
It's sad, but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life,  
Starts with goodbye,  
I guess I'm gonna have to cry,  
And let go of some things I've loved,  
To get to the other side,  
Starts with goodbye,  
The only way you try to find,  
Moving on with the rest of your life,  
Starts with goodbye,  
Na na na na na na na. 

Sometimes pain is a good thing.

It reminds you you're still alive.

* * *

**Phew. Wow. With lyrics, about 760 words. Without, 450 words. Either way, more than Tears Can't Bring Her Back, which is sort of its counterpart, really…**

**Finished it New Years Eve, 2007. So I spent approximately a month on it. O.o**


End file.
